


Planar Dominance

by Serriya (Keolah)



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Multi-User Dungeon, Warhammer 40.000
Genre: Blood Magic, Gen, Original Universe, Theft, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2003-06-01
Updated: 2003-06-01
Packaged: 2017-11-14 11:38:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/514828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keolah/pseuds/Serriya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The universe appears to have returned to normal following the Planar Wars. For the surviving members of Tempest, this may or may not be a good thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Planar Dominance

**Author's Note:**

> This is derived from a roleplay log. It was co-written by Arilyn, who played Shai and Ishane. Also, this is the only section of the Planar Dominance arc that I still have logs of, so this is all there will be unless Arilyn has anymore logs of it.

Things were still rather crazy on Tenlands, even with much of the chaos having been cleared out. Particularly considering its recent alterations to geography.

Tarmakkan sat up a tree in the Elf Wood in Terrelia. Even though there hadn't been any elves in the Elf Wood in hundreds of years. Tarmakkan was fairly well concealed up there but was keeping an eye on the path between Arren-Delico and Sharion.

Shai, wearing a pale blue robe, pulled it closer around herself as she walked down the path. Forests were pretty, but she didn't have that much desire to look at it too closely.

Tarmakkan peered down with his sharp blue eyes at the woman walking down the path. Could it be? He's surely thought she was dead.

She'd normally be sensitive to his presence, but she was more concerned about being jumped by an enemy behind a tree than a friend within one.

Tarmakkan whistled to get her attention and waved from the tree. She looked up. Then backed up a few steps, took a run at the trunk, and grabbed a low branch, pulling herself up eagerly.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Shai Zanite," Tarmakkan grinned broadly.

"Tarmakkan," she drawled, a coy smile on her face. "I didn't expect to see you up here."

"Eh, just keeping an eye on the road."

"Looking for me so long? Aww." She giggled. She was happy to see someone she remembered, at last. She ascended a few levels to be on a branch at about the same height as his.

Tarmakkan chuckled softly. "Nah, just scouting."

"See anything interesting?"

"Nothing since those armed soldiers I saw march past a couple days ago."

"Oh, Tarm," and she took a few steps lightly across the branches to give him a gentle hug, "I can't believe you're safe. Soldiers? Here?" She seemed dubious.

"I can't believe I am either," Tarmakkan said. "You wouldn't believe..."

She smiled sadly. "I believe. I know what it was... Tarm, it was terrible..."

"Soldiers. Yes. Wearing Derrenlish yellows, no less."

"Derren?" Shai said in surprise. "No!"

"I'd say they're a rather long way from home, there was about a score of them, heading to Sharion."

"I guess such displacements are to be expected... We went through all that for nothing, though," she pouted.

"We're still alive, aren't we?"

"We are. I wonder how many others..."

"Hard to say," Tarmakkan said. "Haven't seen any of the others."

"My gosh, to be alive... to see real colors, that _don't_ come out and try to..."

Tarmakkan nodded somberly. "I could hardly believe it when I saw a tree again. Just standing there. Not reaching out and trying to strangle me..."

"Are you for real, Tarm? Are you? Am I just hallucinating?" She shivered.

Tarmakkan poked himself in the chest. "Least I think I am. Has to be real. It was never this coherent for this long."

"It's enough for me!" she declared firmly. "If this is a vision, it's a welcome one."

The man grinned widely. "So where you heading?"

She sat down on the branch next to Tarmakkan. "Anywhere..."

"I've heard Arren-Delico is intact again."

"Already? On your way there, then?"

Tarmakkan shrugged. "I suppose. Not that I've anywhere better to go. Gotta get news on what the hell is going on somewhere."

"Do you have any idea how long...?"

He shook his head. "No idea. Sometimes I think it was a century, others I'm sure it was only really a few months."

"Well, with what was going on, depending on who you are, both might have been true. Oh," she said poutingly, "I hate warping Time, no matter what the end."

"Heh. No kidding." Of course, Tarmakkan's real reason for watching the road had been waiting for somebody to rob, preferably with a horse to steal, since he hated walking. Not like anyone would bother enforcing any laws at the moment anyway.

"It's so _far_ to Arren-Delico," she whined.

Tarmakkan heard something in the distance, and put a finger to his lip, peering out of the leaves toward the road. Shai was obligingly quiet. They both had their own methods of getting what they want. Whatever he was sensing, his ears were better, so this one was his for calling it.

Three guys on horses were coming up the road from Sharion. Shai quietly watched, a smile on her face. Just three. And with mounts! Tarmakkan grinned, thinking they wouldn't have to walk after all, and rubs his hands together as he waits for them to get close enough. Shai silently kissed his shoulder, in thanks, as his face was too far.

As the lead horseman came under their branch, Tarmakkan dropped off his branch, blasting its rider apart and landing almost smoothly in the saddle. Shai waited. She could drop in on her own or, since the other two were likely to go after Tarmakkan for the stunt, let him take care of them. She decided to wait.

The other two were quite surprised, and start to draw weapons. Their swords didn't even clear their sheathes before a pair of chaos blasts ripped into their bodies. Various bodyparts went flying. Shai lightly dropped down beside Tarmakkan. She was agile enough to get her mark well.

The horses were quite spooked and confused by this point. Tarmakkan reached out to try to grab the reins of the other one. His ability to use chaos magic would never stop unnerving her, but she figured he wouldn't use it against her. If he had cause to, it'd be because she attacked him... and at that point, well, heh.

Shai tried to soothe her horse, cooing to it softly. rubbing its neck reassuringly. The saddles were rather bloody and messy by this point as well. Clearly, subtlety was _not_ Tarmakkan's strong point. She tried to wipe hers clean with a spare cloth from her bag. Blood aroused her, always, but mensch blood was nasty, useless stuff.

"Well, that was easy," Tarmakkan said.

She daintily discarded the sodden rag behind a bush. "You know, such things could be executed with a little more style," she scolded.

"Sorry bout the mess," Tarmakkan said, clearly unapologetic. "You have to admit, just ripping somebody apart is effective."

"Effective, but how efficient if we waste time cleaning up after it?"

Tarmakkan didn't seem bothered by the mess. "Cleaning up?" He tied a rope to the third horse and heads off toward Arren-Delico.

Shai urged her horse up next to Tarmak's. "You know, it's going to be pretty obvious you did that. They just need to follow the blood dripping from your horse and that spare... sometimes I think you have no discretion at all!" she said with thin anger.

"And what are they going to do about it?" Tarmakkan wondered. "Arrest me?"

"Well, okay..."

Tarmakkan chuckles softly.

"Oh, but what if someone comes by who can, you know, deal with us?" Shai said. "And we don't notice before they get us?"

"Then I'd have more things to worry about than a little blood."

"Hmmph."

"Besides, everyone knows there's no real mages on Tenlands."

"Oh, I know, but if we're here... I'm just frightened, Tarmakkan."

"So anyone we ran into would have to be from elsewhere, and if they were looking for us would know who we were in the first place."

She was discrete on her own. She was drawn to his impressive power, but didn't approve of his use of it very well. "Well, yeah... it's just easier to find you this way."

"Besides. If anyone asks, we can say we got into a fight with those Derrens back in Sharion."

"Maybe." She seemed doubtful.

Tarmakkan chuckles and rode along casually. Shai swayed alluringly in the saddle as she rode beside him. It wasn't really a particularly long way to Arren-Delico from where they were, but long enough that a lazy person hated it. Arren-Delico wasn't too far off. It was the largest walled city in Terrelia, oops, there's the wall just ahead.

And lazily riding horses, which Shai decided to magically unbloody a bit... There's some guards asleep at the gates of Arren-Delico. Arren-Delico was so named because two cities were built up on either side of a river, Arren, and Delico, but they kind of ran together as they grew.

The gates were open. Shai was content to ride in without doing anything to a pair of lazy guards today. She wanted to be somewhere cool, and dry. Horses are sweaty. Tarmakkan headed inside and looked for a stable to put their horses at. Or sell them for some cheap change. Although he could probably pilfer some cash if it was really needed.

"I want to find an inn," she whined. "The horses don't matter. It costs _money_ to house them."

"It costs negative money to sell them."

She giggled. "So let's sell them!"

Tarmakkan located a stable and asked how much they'll pay for three horses. Shai brushed a bit of travel dust from her robe. The guy at the stable gave him an offer, and Tarmakkan haggled a bit for show, seeing as it'd be all too obvious if he just took the first price offered. He did have some discretion. Some. Shai approved of the little he _did_ show. Occasionally. Tarmakkan finally accepted a decent price on the horses, and pockets the money. He handed some of it to Shai. Shai, firmly on the ground again, pocketed it with a smile to him.

He then wandered off to find an inn. She walked close beside him letting him do the work for her. Why haggle or search when he can do it? He pointed off at an inn with a sign that said, "The Dancing Pony," and said, "Wow, that place is still around.."

"Yeah..."

He trotted along inside. She slipped in after him. It amazed her how the _same_ everything was. Well, some things. Tarmakkan swaggered up to the bar and ordered an ale.

"Rooms," she murmured in his ear urgently. She didn't want to drink, she wanted to rest.

Tarmakkan said, "Right, and uh, two rooms," he handed the innkeeper some coins.

"Two?" Shai asked, winking at Tarm. Not that she'd really do it if he took her up on that oblique offer.

Tarmakkan nudged her and takes a swig of his ale. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before going up to her room of the two Tarmakkan's hired. Where she pretty much just cleaned up and went to sleep. Tarmakkan drank a couple ales before heading to sleep. It had been so long since he'd had good alcohol.

Shai slept poorly. Even with reality seeming to have returned, she still dreamed of Chaos. She woke in the morning, not exactly well-rested in her mind, but her body felt ready to tackle the day. Tarmakkan came out of his room, wearing the same smelly clothes he was wearing the day before, stretching luxuriously. She washed her robe in a bit of water and wrung it out well using her power before putting it back on. It took out the smell and the dirt, somewhat, but she needed something new. She then came out to see if Tarmakkan was awake yet.

Tarmakkan waved to her. "Sleep well?"

"Yep!" she said brightly. He grinned. "You?"

"To be sure," he said.

"We should go news-scouting. Or shopping."

He nodded slightly. "Yeah... shopping... always fun."

"I sort of lost my knife when it got firmly lodged in a tree that sort of, well, tried to eat me or something." Blades were pretty important to her line of work.

Tarmakkan loved shopping, and hated paying for things. Therefore, when he said "shopping" he generally meant, "stealing".

"Mmm," Shai said. "Maybe you could... acquire... a pretty one for me?"

Tarmakkan grinned. "I'll see what I can pick up."

She grinned back. She knew about his habit, and didn't disapprove. "Try for a dagger. I want two blades."

He wandered out of the inn and looked for the marketplace. Surprisingly, he found it right where it was before.

"There's so much I don't understand," she said quietly. "I mean, we were out for... so long. But everything seems just the same, like no time passed at all."

Tarmakkan nodded. "Strange doesn't begin to describe it."

"What _happened_?"

Casually he browsed market stalls. He shrugged. "I really don't know. I just woke up one day, and there were trees around. Standing still."

"I want to know how long it's been," she pouted.

He lowered his voice, "About the only way to find that out is to get back to Torn Elkandu."

She shivered. "I guess I don't need to know everything. Unless it hasn't happened yet. Unless we fell into a sort of time warp, and this is just... before."

He browsed a weapon stall, examining the merchandise and checking the balance of a couple daggers. She trusted him to know quality when he found it. With sheer feminine interest, she examined a jewelry stall.

The merchant told him, "That's a fine choice there, it'll make a nice cutting knife, but I daresay you won't need it to fight chaos creatures anymore."

Tarmakkan quietly managed to slip a dagger beneath his cloak without the merchant noticing, distracting him with examining another knife and discussing length and craftsmanship Shai wanted Tarmakkan to hurry up. She needed him to use his talent to pilfer a pretty sapphire bracelet for her. Not for any magical powers she sensed; it just looked neat.

Tarmakkan declared that the merchant's wares were substandard and says he'd go buy from another smith, and disappeared into the crowd. Shai giggled and shuffled over to look around a stall selling clothes. Tarmakkan would find her later, when he was done 'shopping'. Clothes were relatively cheap, and she wasn't above paying for cheap things. He turned up behind Shai, and grinned at her.

She glanced back at Tarmakkan as she was examining some nice boots. "Doing well, dear?" she asked with a grin.

Tarmakkan grinned and slipped the dagger to her.

She pocketed it. She'd have to get a real belt later, to hold it. "I saw a pretty sapphire bracelet over there," she said, indicating direction with her thumb. "Silver links, midtable, off to the right."

Tarmakkan nodded, "Sure thing," he grinned, heading off there. It'd been so long since he'd been actually able to practice thievery. It was so handy having two hands.

While he wasn't around to chide her for actually paying for something, she bought a pair of black leather boots that fit her reasonably well. Shai could, of course, now that she had a reasonable blade again -- though she'd used fingernails and the like before in a pinch -- have just 'convinced' anyone to give her anything. But it wasn't worth the effort and power for something so small.

Tarmakkan worked his non-magic at the jewelry stall, which was a little more difficult as that shopkeeper is paying more attention than the last. However, he caused a distraction by accidently knocking something over nearby, and got away with the goods.

Discarding her pathetic old shoes and putting on nice boots -- with socks! Socks were lovely -- she went to look at clothes. Shai purchased a few outfits to replace her somewhat old and worn robe. She sticks with mostly pale blues.

Tarmakkan skillfully stole no less than three new outfits and a large cloak suitable for hiding things under. He also acquired a new pack and several pouches and other assorted containers. Had to have plenty of places to put things.

Shai prefered to have more open clothes. She purchased two pairs of pants, about three shirts, and a nice robe. As well as undergarmets and socks. She finally found a nice belt of linked, coated metal. It wasn't actually silver or anything; she didn't care. She also got a pouch for her belt -- she rarely carried anything heavy if men were available to do it for her -- and put it on the right, counterbalancing it with the dagger on the left.

Tarmakkan, his "shopping" done, went to find her. She was pretty done, too. She carried a few bags of clothes, and would very much like to change into something new rather than remain in these old rags. After finding him, she tugged him to go back to the inn. He was already wearing his new clothes, which he'd dirtied a bit to be less obvious about it.

She went to her room and discarded her old robe, choosing to go out in loose white pants and a less loose, royal blue shirt. She put her belt on the new outfit and transfers money from pockets, leaving her other purchases in the room, before going out to meet Tarmakkan again. Tarmakkan remembered to hand her the bracelet he took. She smiled and thanked him before fastening it around her left wrist.

"What now, hon?" Shai asked. "I think we very much need to know what's going on."

"Yes... I think we do."

"Do you... you _don't_ think we actually went back in time, did we?"'

"No. Most definitely not."

"How do you _know_?" Shai wondered.

"I heard some people mention Chaos and stuff."

"Oh. Maybe the entire... no. Not likely, I guess."

Tarmakkan snickered softly. He said, "Well, it seems, somehow, the Chaos is gone."

"How did it happen, though? That shouldn't be possible... we didn't... it's not..."

He nodded. "And that's what we'll need to find out. Although I fear, these mensch won't know anyway."

"If it's not a Time thing, I _don't_ want to go back to Torn Elkandu. Nobody but them could possibly have stopped what we were doing. Maybe one of them is here. One of them is no problem for us..."

Tarmakkan said, "None of them could have done it, no. So it had to have been someone else."

"Who could do it that's not Elkandu?"

Tarmakkan leaned back against the wall, staring off. "Elkandu, yes, but not one of the Elkandu that was in Torn Elkandu at the time."

"Like... but... you don't think..."

He nodded faintly. "There's no other explanation."

"Damnit," she pouted, "they were leaving us alone before, why did they have to interfere?"

He shrugged. "Nobody else has that sort of power."

" _Nobody_ should! We were winning! It's not fair!"

Tarmakkan didn't bother to argue with that. She looked at him poutily. Tarmakkan said, "Well, what's done is done, the question remains, what do we do now?"

"Maybe we could try to find the others."

He nodded. "Possible. Provided they're alive and don't want to kill us for screwing them over."

"Well... it's not all _our_ fault, is it?"

He shrugged. "Some may see it that way. You never know."

"If we could find someone alone... even if they're angry it's no problem, not to us two." That was probably true. A violent Chaos mage and a devious blood mage? Well, unless there was a telepath or a damned good Catalyst or something.

Tarmakkan nodded "I suppose. The question remains on finding them. We aren't exactly Seekers, either."

"Well, yeah..." Shai said. "I bet they wouldn't be in any of the old places, too." She fidgeted with the bracelet on her wrist.

He pondered absently, "And we couldn't hardly put out an advertisement in the local papers. 'Tempest family reunion, RSVP'." Tarmakkan mused, fiddling with things in his pockets. "I suppose it couldn't hurt too much to check the old places, though. Just maybe..."

"Maybe," she said brightly. "Ohhhh, I wish I could Travel. And we sold our horses..."

He snickered softly, "Horses would only help for places on Tenlands anyway."

"Yeaaah," Shai said. "Where should we check? How do we get there discretely?"

Tarmakkan hmmed to himself. "Counterville, perhaps? It's the closest I can think of."

"That'd be good!"

He thought for a moment, "Horses are fine, but maybe we can hitch a ride on a caravan heading there. That'd be more comfortable."

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"Then we wouldn't have to find new horses, either."

"Yeah. We should do that." We meaning him, of course.

He straightened his cloak and said, "Let's see if anyone's heading there."

She grabbed her bags from her room, sensing imminent departure, and joined him to search. He wandered off and found a caravan that was heading to Counterville, and also happens to be hiring guards. He promptly applied.

"I don't want to work," Shai said. "Just pay for me to hitch along."

"Sure thing," he said with a grin. "It'll net in the positive anyway. Besides, it's not like I'll have to do anything anyway."

She giggles. "You're such a diligent guard, Tarmakkan."

Tarmakkan snickered softly. "Really now. Who would attack me?"

"Someone very stupid." She pulled out her dagger and giggles, pointing it at him with a smile.

Tarmakkan chuckled softly, a little nervously. "Now, now, don't point that at me."

She giggled and put it back. "You know I'd never."

Tarmakkan grinned. "Yeah, but it still makes me nervous."

She smiled apologetically. She accomplished what she wanted, and successfully reminded him that no one in their right mind would attack her, either.

They left Arren-Delico. Along the way, they were waylaid by bandits. Tarmakkan noted that under normal circumstances, he'd probably be helping said bandits. Not liking to do work when it's unnecessary, Shai sensed something was wrong and decided she might as well help. If she let Tarmakkan deal with it, he'd probably blow whatever sad cover they have.

Tarmakkan attacked the bandits with ninja-like martial arts, reserving his chaos magic for when no one was looking. No one who would survive, anyway. Shai went at it with her dagger, not having something blunt available to use. She hated drawing blood when she wasn't... working.

As he knocked one of them out, he realized that he recognized the person. Tarmakkan took the supposed bandit 'prisoner' and tied him up in the caravan. The mensch were defeated easily. Shai realized it must look odd for her to be out fighting like a madwoman alongside the guards, and tried to quietly go back to her spot.

Tarmakkan headed up the back of the wagon after the bandits are defeated to watch his 'prisoner'. Shai wanted to see how Tarmakkan ended up. She was able to heal minor injuries, anyway. Tarmakkan motioned her into the wagon quietly, pointing at the unconscious man he captured.

Shai gasped when she saw what it was. "Did he hurt you? He mustn't have known we..."

He shook his head. "No, and he's alright too, just a little bump to the head."

"Do I need to...?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't doubt he was trying to capture the caravan for passage to Counterville..."

"Do we want to risk it?"

"We were looking for them, after all."

"I guess..." Shai said. "Should I heal and wake him?"

"For the moment, the merchants only think he's a prisoner, we'd better keep it down back here."

"You're right. But maybe we should 'question' the prisioner before people come to investigate."

He nodded in agreement. "We'll have to keep him tied up, though."

"Okay."

Shai sheathed her dagger -- she never wiped it off, she never really needed to -- and held the man's head with her hands, letting her little Healing magic flow through him and mend the 'bump'. Then she shook his shoulders gently, telling him to wake up.

Tarmakkan cautioned him to keep it down, and stay quiet. Shai, not wanting to take any chances, took her dagger back out again and took a few steps back.

The 'captive' gave Tarmakkan an odd look. "Put that ridiculous thing away," he muttered at Shai. She sheathed it. She didn't want to go close enough to him to use it, after all. It was sort of a necessary evil to deal with Shai. He didn't like dealing with her. Most deceptive people are at least openly shadowy, like Tarmakkan, who wore a cloak and was obviously a thief. To whom he once again directs his attention.

Tarmakkan grinned. "Didn't really expect to see you here, Ishane Daiceln."

"I could say the same to you," Ishane replied. "This isn't your usual line of work. In fact, it's pretty opposite."

Tarmakkan snickered softly. "I was too lazy to pay for passage."

"So instead you took a job," the man said. "Sometimes your logic makes no sense."

Tarmakkan smirked. "I didn't exactly expect to actually have to _do_ anything, you know?"

"You took a bit too much zeal in your single task this trip," Ishane said bitterly. His head still hurt.

Tarmakkan said, "Hey, be happy, at least I wasn't armed."

"Or channelling." He lowered his voice. "Any word from anyone else?"

Tarmakkan shook his head. "We were heading to Counterville hoping we'd run into somebody there."

Ishane ignored Shai. Looking pouty, she let Tarmakkan do the talking. With him tied up, she could probably still get him safely.

"I was on my way there too... with the same idea. Poorly executed, it seems. Bloody mensch." He knew Shai was annoyed when he swore like that. Ishane was about the only one who could openly annoy her and not be afraid she might strike back unexpectedly. If she wanted to do funky things with blood, sooner or later she'd have to touch him.

Tarmakkan shrugged. "Hey, you might have succeeded if we hadn't been here already."

"How far off is it?"

He thought for a moment, "I'll say, probably about as far from Arren-Delico as it was before."

"Yes. Before. Any word on that?"

"Really, I don't know what happened," Tarmakkan admitted. "Was somewhat hoping you'd know."

"I've been scouting wherever I can. If anyone nearby _knew_ anything, I'd know."

He murmured almost inaudibly. "Really don't want to have to go to Torn Elkandu to find out."

"Mmm," Ishane said. "Maybe we need to find one of the lowbies... send them scouting there. I could key their mind to have no return location, in case they were caught."

Tarmakkan nodded slightly. "Perhaps."

"I don't believe it's prudent to return just yet, not without knowing the situation."

He nodded in agreement. "Definitely."

"For all we know, it's been a million years and no one there remembers except this world."

"All depends on who we manage to find," Tarmakkan said.

"Agreed," Ishane said. "Can you please just steal a few horses and have us take the back roads? These ropes are damned uncomfortable."

Tarmakkan laughed softly. "I could just blast all the merchants and take the wagon, but Shai would yell at me."

"She wouldn't," Ishane said quietly but firmly. "However, it isn't in the great interest of discretion."

Tarmakkan agreed, loosening the ropes a bit. "Better?"

"What's our plan of action?" Ishane wondered. "Do I remain here until we arrive in the city, or should I split off and meet you there?"

"Well, if you wanna hang around, I'll say I'm planning to ransom you off there, and then we can disappear into obscurity."

"Acceptable for now." He'd accept being tied up. It meant he didn't have to walk, anyway. He was glad to have met up with Tarmakkan, but less happy to have met up with Shai.

Tarmakkan proceeded to fill him in on how he met up with Shai and how they went to Arren-Delico and all. Ishane listens. Tarmakkan then went up front and told the merchants he'd random off this bandit once they reached Counterville. The merchants readily agreed and offered him a bonus for his good work. Tarmakkan never turned down free money.

Shai, not wanting to talk to him, went off to clean blood splatters from her clothes, which wasn't wholly difficult but did require taking them off.


End file.
